New Release: Racey Stuff From Nsync's Jc Chasez

[DudeAsInCool]

Not Just Girl Songs With a Cute Face

By NEIL STRAUSS

LOS ANGELES—To a sold-out crowd at the House of Blues two weekends ago, a singer delivered lyrics about one-night stands, threesomes and masturbation, adding a Prince cover for good measure. "You gotta stick with me," he said at the end of the show. "There's more than this to come."

The singer delivering these lyrics from the world of male fantasy was a member of 'N Sync, which became the biggest pop band of 2000 largely by catering to the fantasies of young women. And he wasn't Justin Timberlake. He was JC Chasez, also known as the other cute guy in the band, in the third solo concert of his career. (He is to perform his fourth at Irving Plaza on Friday.) On Jan. 27 with "Schizophrenic," Mr. Chasez will become the second 'N Sync member, after Mr. Timberlake, to release a solo album.

"People are used to us maybe catering to a pop crowd that's maybe all girls," Mr. Chasez said of his more risqué lyrics, speaking by telephone from Las Vegas. "But I didn't make my record for any specific audience or do any compromising."

He recalled executives at his record label, Jive, telling him, " `You know you're going to scare a few moms with this music.'

"But I said, `If I want to make another 'N Sync record, I'll make another 'N Sync record.' "

This doesn't mean that Mr. Chasez (pronounced sha-ZAY) is through with 'N Sync. The band plans to start selecting new songs to record in the late spring, with hopes of a CD in time for Christmas next year. And despite the hotter songs, "Schizophrenic" still has its fair share of love songs and ballads. In "Build My World," for example, to a tune not unlike 'N Sync's "Gone," Mr. Chasez is back to searching for the love of his life.

With this CD, Mr. Chasez has a tough act to follow. Mr. Timberlake's album, "Justified," combined with his impressive appearances on television shows ranging from "Punk'd" to "Saturday Night Live," enabled him to cross over from the world of teeny-bopper music and become a bona fide all-ages pop star. His legitimacy was cemented by his nomination last week in the top Grammy category, album of the year.

When 'N Sync went on hiatus last year, Mr. Chasez never planned to release a solo CD. "J was the first one to take that jump," he said. "We'd been running for seven years straight on the road, and the first thing I thought was: vacation. I have other best friends besides the guys in 'N Sync, and they get neglected. So I settled down and chilled out and did a bunch of nothing with them."

But then he got a call from the producer Dallas Austin, who invited him to hang out in the studio while the singer Joe was recording. A few hours later they had nearly completed a song together, which was used in the movie "Drumline." When the people at Jive heard it, they suggested that Mr. Chasez record a full album.

"I said, `J is doing his thing; I just want to chill,' " Mr. Chasez recalled. "Then Dallas sat down with me and said, `Why aren't you doing a record?' I said, `I was just getting used to living again.' "

And so in February Mr. Chasez began recording his CD. Instead of seeking the help of the top hip-hop producers of the moment, as Mr. Timberlake did, Mr. Chasez worked with friends like BT and Basement Jaxx. He recorded 30 songs, chose 15 for the CD, then hired Dirt McGirt (formerly Ol' Dirty Bastard) to rap on the single.

In the end, "Schizophrenic" is wildly uneven, full of clever gems and snooze-inducing duds. The music is in large part rooted in the 1980's, with echoes of Corey Hart, Gary Numan, Michael Jackson, the Police, Giorgio Moroder, the Eurythmics and George Michael. The best songs are not wholly serious dance jams backed by minimal retro electronics; excursions into good-times rock are less convincing.

As Mr. Chasez sees it, the time had come for a change. There was no way, he said, that the 'N Sync audience was going to grow anymore. "So as Justin goes out and does his solo thing," Mr. Chasez continued, "he's making new fans he wouldn't have had as 'N Sync. Hopefully I'll be doing that as well. And so maybe people will be more open-minded when we get back together."